Longtime Owner Sells

Bradford Newspaper

Orange County's other weekly newspaper, the Journal-Opinion of Bradford, was sold Jan. 1 by its owner, publisher and editor of 30 years, Robert Huminski.

New owner is Connie Sanville, who has been serving as the newspaper's general manager. The sale was announced in the Journal Opinion's Jan. 3 paper.

The newspaper is a combination of two newspapers, the former Bradford Opinion and the Woodsville Journal. Huminski bought the papers in March of 1977 from Peter Jorgensen, now of Tunbridge, and David Mugar of New England Publishing.

Huminski had formerly owned a weekly newspaper in Piscataway, N.J.

The Journal Opinion has a connection with The Herald of Randolph, as for many years it was owned by Herald Publisher John Drysdale, who made the drive to Bradford two or three days a week.

Huminski said that Sanville is "the perfect successor" who "knows the economics of the business but also knows the traditions."

She joined the newspaper as a bookkeeper in 1985 and was promoted to business manager and then general manager.

She's also the one you see when you come in the door and the one who picks up the phone with a cheery voice when you call.

In the J-O story, Sanville is quoted as saying "I want to see the paper continue to grow. I want it to be the hometown, community paper it has been and to continue to grow and get better."

Huminski, 70, noted that he began in the newspaper business by deliviering weeklies as a seven-year-old. He has now been meeting weekly deadlines for 63 years and has laid out more than 10,000 pages, he estimates.

"It's been a good run, with a lot of satisfaction," he reflected.

The newspaper covers towns along the Connecticut River Valley on both sides of the Connecticut River.